The present invention relates to a method for forwarding automatically liquid samples, etc. and a device for realizing same and in particular to a method for forwarding automatically liquid samples, etc. and a device for realizing same, in which a forwarding distance of a needle can be set for forwarding the liquid samples, etc. according to the form of a sample vessel table, on which a plurality of sample vessels, etc. are mounted.
In a prior art device for forwarding automatically liquid samples one of a plurality of sample vessels arranged on a sample vessel table is selected and a needle is forwarded to the selected sample vessel to effect sampling. Usually it is effected by specifying a number allocated to the sample vessel to forward the needle to the position of the selected sample vessel. Heretofore there were two known procedures for forwarding it. By a first forwarding procedure, as disclosed in JP-A-63-145963, needle forwarding information corresponding to the used sample vessel table is stored in a memory table in the device for forwarding automatically liquid samples, etc. In this case, an operation control section in the device calculates forwarding coordinates, starting from the needle forwarding information stored in the memory table and the sample vessel number to forward the needle to a target position, only by specifying the number of the sample vessel, to which the needle is to be forwarded. By a second forwarding procedure, as disclosed in JP-A-62-15466, the needle forwarding information corresponding to the used sample vessel table is not stored in the memory table described above. In this case, the sample vessel number is specified, after the needle forwarding information obtained by actually forwarding the needle has been stored in the memory table, and an operation processing control section forwards the needle to the position of the target sample vessel, using this information.
In the latter forwarding procedure described above, heretofore a method, by which numerical values were directly inputted by operating numeral keys, was used principally for setting the needle forwarding information, storing it in the memory table. As another method, there existed a method, by which the needle was actually forwarded to the target position by manipulating operating means for specifying the needle forwarding to obtain the needle forwarding information, which was to be set.
Concerning the method for setting the needle forwarding information in the device for forwarding automatically liquid samples, etc. to store it in the memory table, in the case where the needle forwarding information concerning the used sample vessel table is known, the first method described above has an advantage that the operation is simple and that destruction of the needle by an erroneous operation is not feared. However, on the other hand, in the case where the needle forwarding information concerning the used sample vessel is unknown, it is necessary to measure previously the distance from the position of the origin in the needle forwarding space to the first sample vessel, the distance from the highest position of the needle to the bottom of the sample vessel, etc. and in addition it is difficult to measure these distances with a high precision. Therefore this method has a disadvantage that the needle was apt to be destroyed, if the needle was forwarded, using these measured data.
On the contrary, the second method described above does not have the disadvantage stated above, regarding the first method, and since the needle forwarding information is obtained while actually forwarding the needle in the case where the needle forwarding information concerning the sample vessel table is unknown, it is possible to set the forwarding information extremely precisely.
In the present practical utilization situation of the device for forwarding automatically liquid samples, the device is supplied to users in the state where it is so constructed that the first needle forwarding information setting method can be executed, presuming that a normalized sample vessel table usually supplied by a maker is used. However, from the standpoint of the user, concerning the sample vessel table, there are cases where a sample vessel table suitable for sample vessels fabricated by the maker, to which the user belongs, is desirable and cases where that fabricated by another maker is desirable. Even if the sample vessel table is in accordance with the standard for the device, there may be a case where it is desired to section the region, where sample vessels are mounted, so that various sorts of sample vessels having different sizes can be mounted to be used on one sample vessel table. Consequently, taking such a utilization situation into account, by using only the construction of the device for realizing the first needle forwarding information setting method described above, it is not possible to deal with the users' demand satisfactorily, which reduces the usability of the device for forwarding automatically liquid samples, etc.